Ali Moujani, Iran’s ambassador to Georgia, warned of a “price” for countries that aid the United States, in social media posts that came a day after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke on a phone with Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze about “areas of mutual interest,” including “security in the Caucasus and Black Sea region.”

The ambassador published two posts on March 31: one on X and a longer one on Facebook. Hours after the Facebook post went up, his page became unavailable, while the shorter message remained accessible on X. The posts followed, but did not explicitly refer to, a March 30 call between Rubio and Kobakhidze.

“One fact about Donald Trump and American politics cannot be overlooked: when some countries, whether inadvertently or hastily, lend their space and territory to external adventurers, they sooner or later pay the price within their own borders,” Ambassador Ali Moujani wrote in the Facebook post. He also warned that “no country is immune to the consequences of a regional crisis” and that “the crisis is much closer than it appears at first glance.”

The posts came in the fifth week of the war in the Middle East, as strikes continue in the region and most oil and gas tankers remain stalled in and around the Strait of Hormuz amid a largely blocked shipping environment driven by ongoing conflict between Iran and U.S.-Israeli forces.

The State Department reported about a phone conversation between Rubio and Kobakhidze on March 30 – the first such reported high-level call since the U.S. suspended the strategic partnership with Georgia late in 2024 – noting that the parties “discussed areas of mutual interest including security in the Caucasus and Black Sea region.”

In a separate statement about the call, Kobakhidze said: “We [emphasized] the importance of resetting our partnership and reinforcing Georgia’s role as a strong partner in the South Caucasus. Committed to strengthening Georgia–U.S. ties and advancing regional stability and connectivity.”

Below is the English translation of a Georgian Facebook post by Ambassador Ali Moujani:

“One fact about Donald Trump and American politics cannot be overlooked: when some countries, whether inadvertently or hastily, lend their space and territory to external adventurers, they sooner or later pay the price within their own borders.

Today, the signs are clear: disruptions in export routes, capital flight, and society’s growing anxiety over the consequences of the war of attrition, as well as the risks of escalation – including the threat of nuclear weapons use by the United States – are all challenges facing the decision-makers of small countries.

Now, on the 32nd day of the war, the White House is even considering making countries south of Iran bear the costs of this conflict.

This is precisely the point where short-term decisions and miscalculations turn into long-term challenges.

Those who supported Donald Trump yesterday are now forced to pay the price for that step.

This approach is a continuation of the same policy that Joe Biden has periodically followed when opening new fronts. Today, even some NATO allies choose a ‘policy of maintaining distance from Washington.’ Pay attention to this phrase: no country is immune to the consequences of a regional crisis.

The crisis is much closer than it appears at first glance.”

In a relatively short post on X, the ambassador wrote in Persian, “Trump’s approach carries a lesson: Ceding land and space to external interventions brings the cost back home. Yesterday: disrupted exports, capital flight, and …Today: on the 32nd day of the war, discussion of shifting the costs to Iran’s southern neighbors. The crisis is closer than it appears in the mirror.”